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137 posts categorized in "Events"

Besides purring and warming laps, stretching and scratching is what kitties do best. But stretching and scratching are not just fun activities for the cats, they're natural behaviors that provide stress relief, exercise and mental stimulation.

These activities are especially important for cats in the shelter environment, where the animals have limited space to perform natural behaviors such as jumping, stretching and scratching.

That's where Stretch & Scratch pads come in! The corrugated cardboard pads attach to the enclosure doors, allowing the cats to stretch their muscles, clean their nails and scent-mark with their paws.

Love was in the air at PAWS this Valentine's Day as staff and volunteers showered the cats and dogs with treats, extra playtime and plenty of affection. But for 10 special animals at PAWS, this particular day of love represented the long-awaited promise of a new life, and a second chance.

"These were 10 of our most long-term residents, each of them had been here for more than 100 days," explains PAWS Animal Behavior Lead Kristi Binau. To help find them homes, PAWS ran a Valentine's Day promotion offering $25 off the adoption fees for these particular animals.

And it worked! "We're overjoyed that each of these animals found the perfect forever home just in time for Valentine's Day!" says Binau.

One of these lucky animals was Bindi, a friendly five-year-old tuxedo cat. Bindi had a wonderful personality, but due to a persistent medical condition called idiopathic cystitis, she was returned to the shelter not once, but twice.

"Bindi's medical condition was exacerbated by stress, so we needed to find a peaceful home that would help her adjust, and avoid these reoccurring medical issues," says Binau.

They found the perfect person for Bindi on February 13, the day before Valentine's Day, when Carol Milne came in to PAWS Cat City looking for a low-key feline companion.

Having dealt with health issues herself, Carol knew that she could provide a loving, patient and stress-free environment where Bindi could truly feel relaxed and at home.

Congratulations to Bindi and the other deserving animals who found their forever homes during our Valentine's Day Adoption Special!

What do you get when you put more than 200 PAWS volunteers in a room with fun games, delicious food and incredible raffle prizes? One heck of a Volunteer Appreciation Party! (and a few jokes about animal poo, too).

The annual PAWS Volunteer Appreciation Night, which took place at the Edmonds Conference Center on Tuesday February 19, brought together PAWS staff and volunteers for a fun evening of socializing, celebration and recognition of the countless hours of service that our volunteers dedicate to improving the lives of the animals at PAWS every year.

In the 2012 alone, PAWS volunteers donated more than 70,000 hours of
service, providing direct animal care, educating the public about
animal welfare, assisting at PAWSwalk and other community events,
providing administrative support and much more.

Whether they're walking dogs, hand-feeding baby birds or fostering a litter of kittens, PAWS volunteers provide an invaluable service to the animals at PAWS—and they have fun doing it!

"I love interacting with potential adopters and being there when a dog goes to his or
her forever home" says Andrea Goldsmith, who works with dogs as a Kennel Attendant.

"It's fun to see the animals come out of their shells and get to know their real personalities," adds PAWS foster parent Devin Barnes. "It's really not what I do for the dogs, but more what the dogs do for me!"

Foster Care Coordinator Rebecca Oertel accepts
a donation from the members of Rainbow Girls troupe #47

Compassionate hearts shine like a pot of gold at the end of a
rainbow, and none are shining brighter than the hearts of a local Rainbow Girls troupe! The members of Rainbow Girls Bothell Lodge #47 held a donation
drive/fundraiser to help the animals at PAWS, and their efforts reaped a wonderful
collection of food, treat, toys, supplies from our Wishlist and more than $245!

According
to troupe member Lauren, who served as a Worthy Advisor, Rainbow is about giving back to the community. She selected PAWS as the charity they would support during her term.

“I chose PAWS because I believe every companion animal deserves
to live in a stable home with loving owners. I know that PAWS strives to find
homes for these animals and that is why I wanted to give back to an
organization that deserves it.”

Thank you to all the Rainbow Girls for your wonderful efforts and
your compassionate hearts!

Chocolates and flowers are romantic, but why not surprise your loved one with something a little different this Valentine’s Day—honor them with a gift to PAWS!

Send your Valentine an eCard and show them just how much you care. You'll help thousands of homeless, orphaned and injured cats, dogs and wildlife receive the love and healing they need with your Valentine's Day gift.

When you make a gift to
PAWS in honor of your loved one, you help save animals like Ramble. This sweet two-month-old puppy was surrendered to PAWS along with his six siblings. Their mother was unable to feed them, and their guardian just didn’t know where else to turn. At PAWS, the hungry puppies are getting the food, shelter and care they need to grow big, healthy and strong.

Want to know more about bears? Join PBS and BBC TV host Chris Morgan, live in Bellingham on February 17!

Chris Morgan is a conservation ecologist who works through education, film, science and campaigns to highlight wildlife conservation in fresh, fascinating ways. His personal mission is to help make conservation a part of everyday life for all individuals by inspiring people to appreciate wildlife and wild places, and creating solutions that intertwine human welfare with the health of our planet. He loves wild places, and is never happier than when sharing them with others - either in person, or through education and film.

Join this carnivore ecologist and global adventurer who has spent more than 20 years immersing himself among the wildlife of every continent. His engaging and authentic on-camera presence has brought him hosting and narration work seen on PBS Nature, BBC, National Geographic Television, and the Discovery Channel, along with an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. His year-long odyssey across the Arctic Circle by motorcycle was featured in the three-part miniseries Bears of the Last Frontier.

The numbers can seem overwhelming. Every year, PAWS takes in and shelters thousands of homeless cats and dogs who arrive at our door in need of care. These are the lucky ones. Millions more companion animals across the country will struggle to survive on the streets without food, shelter or hope.

In an effort to combat pet overpopulation and reduce the number of homeless animals in our community, PAWS will be participating in World Spay Day 2013, a campaign to shine a spotlight on spay/neuter—a proven way to save the lives of companion animals and safely control the animal population.

During the month of February, as part of the Spay Day campaign, PAWS will be offering low-cost spay and neuter surgeries in partnership with other local shelters and veterinary clinics in Washington State.

World Spay Day, a nationwide effort, aims to end the suffering of unwanted pets and homeless animals in our communities by preventing unplanned litters. Spaying and neutering is good for the community and a great way to help our animal friends live longer, healthier lives.